How accurate is Birdsong's bird identifier?

It runs Google's Perch, a research-grade acoustic model covering nearly 15,000 species. When a call is ambiguous, we say so honestly and let you record a second clip to confirm, rather than guessing.

Is my recording stored?

No. Your audio is used to identify the bird in the moment and isn't saved to our servers. The birds you confirm are kept as cards in your own field journal; the recordings themselves are not.

Is the bird identifier free?

Yes — identify birds every day for free, no account required. Birdsong Pro ($3.99/mo or $39.99/yr) unlocks unlimited IDs, full field guides, your growing collection, and shareable Field Report cards.

Do I need an account or internet to identify a bird?

You'll need a connection to identify, since the AI runs in the cloud. No account is needed to try it — sign in with Google or email to save your field journal and sync it across devices.

Birdsong field guide

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Tympanuchus phasianellus

A medium-sized, ground-dwelling bird famous for its elaborate communal dancing and distinctively pointed tail feathers.

What it sounds like

Low-frequency cooing, sharp cackling 'chuks', and a mechanical rattling sound created by vibrating tail feathers.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 8:03

Rec. Valerie Heemstra · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess inflatable violet-colored air sacs on their necks and yellow combs over their eyes used during courtship displays.
During lekking, males perform a rapid 'aeroplane' dance, stomping their feet up to 20 times per second while rattling their tails.
The species survives harsh winters by burrowing into deep snowbanks to create insulated chambers that maintain temperatures above freezing.
Their feet are feathered to the toes, acting like natural snowshoes for walking on soft snow surfaces.
Sharp-tailed Grouse are considered a 'fire-dependent' species, as they rely on periodic wildfires to keep their grassland habitats free of encroaching trees.

Habitat

Mixed-grass prairies, brushy parklands, and open oak savannas.

Range

Spans from Alaska across most of Canada to the northern Great Plains and Great Basin of the United States.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Greater Prairie-ChickenTympanuchus cupido Lesser Prairie-ChickenTympanuchus pallidicinctus

Heard a Sharp-tailed Grouse?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

Identify a bird by its song